That's a solid quarter, but the number that stands out is the $14.7 million Romney reportedly had in the bank at the end of September. That's less than the $15 million Rick Perry's campaign says it will report having in reserve.

The difference is small and could be really minimal, depending on how the two campaigns are rounding. But it's still notable given that Romney had a four-month head start.

Romney's burn rate has also increased since last quarter. In the second fundraising period of the year, Romney spent only 32 percent of the money he raised and finished with $12.7 million on hand. Over the last three months, he's spent 46 percent of the cash at his disposal.

With the establishment now more strongly in Romney's corner, Perry struggling to regain traction in the race and a substantial personal fortune at his disposal, Romney's not going to lose this nomination for lack of cash. He hasn't locked it down with overwhelming financial power, either.

Readers' Comments (16)

Isn't it amazing, nobody is really jumping on board with either Romney or Perry but still they raised just under $30 million combined in the third-quarter. Supports the old saying a fool and his money are soon parted. When if comes to redumblicans apparently a lot of fools.

“Romney is not a conservative He’s not, folks. You can argue with me all day long on that, but he isn’t… This isn’t personal, not with what country faces and so forth. I like him very much. I’ve spent some social time with him. He’s a fine guy. He’s very nice gentleman. He is a gentleman. But he’s not a conservative.”

We already know he's not a conservative. His father, George W, beaten by Nixon, was just like him.

Frankly, we've got to come to grips with the Mormon issue. There are many, many Mormons in politics. As much as I've liked Glen Beck, I'm beginning to listen to him with a discerning ear. When Romney and Beck state something to the effect that Jesus is their Saviour, it is a lie. Their definition of Jesus is shocking. They believe there is no eternal life without Mormon membership. I challenge everyone to google politicians as to their Mormon affiliation. It's surprising.

Keep in mind that Mormons choose to proselytize rather than serve in our military. Rick Perry was a pilot in the Air Force. Rick might be a Christian, but at least, voters know the full meaning of Christianity. We don't know the full meaning of Mormonism unless we've studied it in depth and the deeper one gets into it, the more shocking the revelations are about it.

Yes - Mormons are gentlemen. They're fine guys. They're usually handsome and wealthy. They have family values. Some Mormons might even be conservative, but not Willard Mitt Romney.

With the establishment now more strongly in Romney's corner, Perry struggling to regain traction in the race and a substantial personal fortune at his disposal, Romney's not going to lose this nomination for lack of cash. He hasn't locked it down with overwhelming financial power, either.

Paul Blumenthal paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com Become a fan of this reporter

"While the fundraising numbers will help cement Romney's frontrunner status, there are some troubles lurking in the details. While the campaign saw a 73 percent increase in the total number of donors in the third quarter, it only raised contributions from 55,000 individual donors. By comparison, Romney's primary opponent Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) announced donations from 100,000 individual donors in the third quarter alone, and the campaign of President Barack Obama is nearing the 1 million donor mark for the year."

Guys we shouldn't attack his religion. Romney's got plenty to go after, flip flops, liberalism, tax hikes, gun control, abortion, amnesty, being third worst in job creation. Mormons are by and large good people, we may not see eye to eye on religion, but that isn't really an issue for this election. Lets just stick to why Romney shouldn't be the GOP nominee.

Rush Limbaugh said it right. Romney is NOT a conservative. I have watched his clips while he was running in MA against Former Senator Kennedy. It has let me down. He is done. I do not trust him any more.